Railroad flatcar



Sept. 15, 1942.

K. F. NYSTROM ETAL RAILROAD FLAT CAR Filed May 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I I Sept.. 15, 1942. K. F. NYs'rRoM Erm.

RAILROAD FLAT CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1941 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 RAILROAD FLATCAR Karl F. Nystrom and Joseph A. Deppe,

' Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 26, 1941, Serial No. 395,252

4 Claims.

Our invention contemplates increasing the Width of the major portion of the deck or floor of a railroad atcar so as to afford more eiective anchorage in the shipment of such commodities as tractors and other assembled implements or vehicles and also involving means whereby the commodities may be securely anchored in place Without damaging the car-deck or floor.

More specifically stated the invention involves means secured to the car side sills whereby the extended portion of the car deck will be properly supported and stiiiened and at the same time afford proper protection for the ends of the crosswisely extending floor boards or planks; a portion of said means consisting of specially designed stake pockets and alternately arranged gusset members; the stake pockets and gusset members being secured to the car side sills and to the floor extension supporting means and arranged coincident With suitable cut-outs or slots in the car deck or floor so as to provide a plurality of hold-down openings at spaced intervals length- Wise of the side edges of the deck for passage `of suitable steel straps, round steel bars or wire whereby the tractor or other lading is secured on the deck of the car.

The invention also contemplates providing each end sill of the car with one or more socket providing brackets also adapted for passage of the commodity-fastening straps, bars or Wire; said brackets being formed to prevent cutting of the tie means by the vibratory movements of the heavy lading on the car-deck.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of longitudinally spaced tie element receiving members substantially at the longitudinal center line of the car-deck secured to the car center sill so as to recede beneath the top of the car-deck when not in use and thus provide an uninterrupted deck surface.

Another object of our invention is the provision of means which may be readily applied to previously constructed latcars without change in side sill and center sill construction.

The above enumerated objects and the advantages inherent in the invention will all be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of one end of the deck of a atcar, with a portion broken away, illustrating our invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the portion of the car provided with the laterally extended deck.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line i 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 illustrates a modified manner of securing the hold-down element shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the holddown in receded position.

Figure 1l is a sectional View of a side sill and portion of the car deck illustrating application of our invention to present day atcar construction.

In flatcars as at present constructed, the ends of the deck or floor planks extend to the outer edges of the top anges of the side sills, the cardeck having no means to which the steel tie straps, wires or bars can be secured. The lading, such as tractors, is secured against shifting by large wood blocks, which are spiked to the floor and placed adjacent the tractor-wheels and by tie-straps passing across the ends of the planks and secured in any suitable manner to the car underframe. In order to unload the lading the spiked blocks are pried loose, causing the floor planks to be badly lacerated which necessitates subsequently applied blocks to be spiked at untorn places in the planks which are thereby subject to rapid decay by reason of the moisture holding cavities produced. Then too, by passing the tie-straps or Wires across the ends of the unprotected floor planks, the constant shifting or vibratory movement of the lading causes the; tie wires or straps to cut into the ends of the planks and cause the planks to be badly scored and shredded.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the first four iigures of the drawings, the side sill 20, instead of having the usual angle bar at the upper end of the web of the sill, is provided with an extension plate 2| of predetermined Width disposed across the top of the web of the side sill and preferably welded thereto, as shown at 22, so as to reenforce the side sill; the -plate 2| extending laterally beyond the side sill a distance Within the prescribed car clearance limits, with the outer longitudinal side of the plate bent upwardly as shown at 23, see Figure 3, to an extent commensurate with the thickness of the floor planks and 'thus provide a protecting metal edging for the floor boards while at the same time reenforcing the extension plate 2|. It will be understood that a similar construction is employed at each side of the car. thus increasing the car width. The lateral extensions preferably terminate a predetermined distance short of the car ends as shown in Figure l where the tie-straps or wires may be secured at the ends of the car in the manner hereinafter set forth. In our improved construction, the ioor boards or planks 24 coincident with the extension plates are of greater length than those heretofore employed so as to extend crosswise of the car, into abutting relation with the up-turned portions 13 of the extension plates 2|, thereby ,providing 4*a flatcar deck of greater width than has heretofore been the case. Flatcars are usually provided with suitable sockets or pockets spaced apart along the sides for the reception of stakes employed in connection with the shipment of cerrtainzcommodties, asffor example frailsgand the rangement of the stake pockets (the pockets along the two sides of the car ,being preferably disposed directly opposite-each-pther) are'rmore clearly shown in Figure 1, which discloses a portion of one end ofthe c ar. vThe specific construction of these pockets Zfare shown in Figures 2 `and ,3L-,as of U-shape cross-section, open at top Y `and bottom, the sides `being preferably provided with transversely disposed or pressed cut rigiditying ribs 25, and the sides flanged outwardly at A21 toextend flush with the webs ofthe side sills to which they are riveted. or otherwisesuitably attached.

VThe upper end lof the main portion of vthe pocket member 2,5 is .preferablyprovided with a -reenforcing U-shape vbar 28 disposedgabout the sides of thepocket-and extending preferably to the outer edgeof the extension plate '2|name1y ,to the base of the upturned outer edge of the plate 2|. The bar 2-8 `is preferably a half-round steel bar `which is'welded to the Vvbottoni yof 'the extension gplate .2 Vand preferably also welded-.to the-,sides of the pocket vmember 25, see yFigure 3, thus providing additional reenforcement -for the bottom Vof the plate and also presenting a hard steel k'round protective surface for the extension plate 2|. The car deck vat points coincident Vwith the pockets 25 are provided with openings 29 and the-extension plate 2l coincident with'the pockets 25 is also vprovided-with matching openings 3D, which extend to the upturned edge'ZS of the extension plate, so thatthe openings 29 in the deck boards and openings 3i) in the extension plate extend laterally beyond the outer Vfaces of the stake pockets 25, as shown in Figure 3; this extended portion of the opening 3|) inthe extension plate being circumscribed by the bar 23.

The car sides at-points intermediate the stake pockets 25, namely the portions of the sides rvprovided with the extension plates, are provided with additional reenforcements in the nature of triangular plates or gussets 3| whose rear edges are welded to the webs Yof the side sills -while the tops of the gussets are welded to the'bottoms of the extension plates 2|.

The car deck iswprovided with holes 32 which also extend through-the bottom of' the extension plate 2| as shown in Figure 4; the holes 32 being disposed between the two triangular plates or gussets 3|. The lower sides of the extension plates 2| are provided with U-shaped half-round bars or rods 33 arranged about the outer ends or sides of the holes 32, and welded to the extension plates as indicated at 3Q; the rounded rods obviating sharp edges being presented to the tie-.straps or wires and hence prevent the tie-wires being cut as a result of the vibratory movements of the lading.

With the alternate arrangement of stake pockets and gussets, the extension plates are amply :supported from the side sills and a strong load .'theifactnthat the plates, substantially throughout their outwardly extending portions, are rigidly secured to the webs of the side sills by a plurality of :gusset members 3|. At :the :same-,time a plurality pf comparatively closelyspaced .tieiwi-re .receiving .holes :are provided vwhich enable a moresecuretyigngof fthe machines or lading on the `car-deck; the tie-wires lor straps being i passed through the V:holes :32 -'(at the gussets) rand through the outer; en jdsof the openings; 30, namely to the outside ofthe-,stake pockets 25, as shown `at the'left in Figure 3, where the tie-wire will pass overthe rounded surface of the freenforcing bar 287; the tie-wires adjacent the top-of the ydeck being passed overthe tapered or `arcuate upper .edge fof the-flange 23gof the extension plate 2|.

Each car end-sill-is also provided with a'number of tie-Wiring receiving elements as shown at 35 in Figure 1. These-elements are secured to thecar end sillt (Figure-5) -andconsist of rods of round :cross-section -which fare preferably weldedto V,the lend sill. The Yrods-are bent `into .U-,shape or -loopvform with their ends inserted in suitable holes formed in the end sill as disclosedinFigures 5 and-6 and the ends welded in place-asgshown at 31; `or the Vends of theV loops may simply be welded against the Avert-ical face or web of theend sill as shown at 38 in Figure 7. The elements in both instances present -a-rcuate or rounded surfaces t0 the tie wires or straps and hence prevent the wiresor straps being cut as-a -result of the :constant vibration to which they are subjected. lIt .will be understood that similarvelements are provided Aat the other end of ,the car.

In addition to the hold-down or tie elements described, wealso provide the flatcar with additional hold-down elements adjacent the longitudinalrcenter -line1of the car and arranged Vin suitable spaced yrelation lengthwise of the car as shown in Figure land in detail in :Figures 8, 9 and 10.

The top or coverplate 39'01" thebuilt-up center -sill lof the car, vat its-longitudinal center-line and at spaced apart points throughout its length is provided with suitable slots-4 8 andv the Vtop of the cover plate :is provided with brackets yfill disposed transverselyacross the slots 46; the ends ofthe `brackets beinglsuitably secured to thecenter sill cover plate ,as for example lby welding with the intermediate upstanding -loop portions of the brackets disposed4 above the slots, see Figure-8.

Before the brackets 4| Vare securedl to the center sill -cover 'plate the brackets sare yeach `provided with -a loop 42, which is preferably of triangularshape and'continuous singlerpiece. The

loops 42 are made of round :stock las shown in cross-section, Figure 8, so as to present arcuate surfaces to the tie-wires or straps; and the apices of the triangular loops (when not in use) are adapted to extend through the slots 40 in the center sill cover plate and to drop down until the upper ends of the loops engage the tops of the brackets 4l as shown in Figure 10. The brackets 4l extend into a plane beneath the top surface of the car floor or deck so that the upper ends of the loops 42, when not in use, will be disposed slightly beneath the upper surface of the car fioor and thus provide an unobstructed floor, as shown in Figure 10.

In order to permit the loops 42 to angle sidewise and accommodate themselves to the direction of pull of the tie wires or bands, the openings in the floor-boards are preferably ared as shown at 43 in Figure 8; the bottoms of the floor-boards, coincident with the brackets 4|, being socketed as shown at 44 to accommodate the brackets. When the lading is to be secured at the median line of the car, the upper ends of the loops 42 are elevated above the car floor as shown in Figures 8 and 9 which allows the tie-wires or bands to be readily inserted through the loops; each loop being adapted to receive one or more tiewires or bands when necessary. These intermediate adjustable tie-down elements preferably are arranged in transverse alignment with the elements at the sides of the car, as shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 11 We illustrate the application of our invention to the present day or previously constructed flatcar wherein a narrower extension plate 2lEL is employed; the extension plate at its outer longitudinal edge being flanged upwardly in the same manner as previously described, while the inner longitudinal edge rests on top of the web of the side sill 20 in abutting relation with the upper angle bar 45 usually employed; the ini ner longitudinal edge of the extension plate being preferably welded in place. The extension plate Zla, similar to the previous construction, is supported by the spaced apart stake pocket 25 and gusset members 3|; the plate 2la at points coincident with the pockets being provided with the tire-wire or band receiving openings 30 eX- tending beyond the stake pockets and surrounded by the reenforcing bars 28, and at points coincident with the gussets being provided with openings as shown in Figure 4 and reenforced by bars 33, as shown in that figure.

With our improved construction, lading tie rods or means of uniform length may be employed with the result that considerable saving in the cost of the tie means may be effected; at the same time a more secure fastening of the lading is made possible and the load carrying capacity of the car deck is increased without change in the general car under-frame construction.

The exempliiications of the invention disclosed in the drawings have been described in terms of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of our invention as defined in the claims.

What We claim is:

1. In a flatcar, the combination of the side sills; floor-board supporting extension plates disposed lengthwise of the car sides and laterally beyond the side sills with the inner longitudinal portion of the plates integrally united with the tops of the side sills; stake pockets secured to the side sills with their upper ends in supporting relation with said extension plates, said stake pockets being spaced lengthwise of the car sides; pairs of gusset members se-cured to the side sills with their tops in supporting relation with said extension plates, the gusset members being arranged in alternate relation with the stake pockets; the car floor and said extension plates adjacent the outer side edges being provided with tie means receiving openings coincident with the stake pockets and intermediate the gusset members of each pair.

2. In a flatcar, the combination of the car side sills and the car floor; extension plates disposed lengthwise of the car with the inner longitudinal edges secured to the tops of the side sills to constitute side sill reenforcing and load carrying members, the outer longitudinal edges of the plates being disposed upwardly to provide a car oor abutting and protecting means, said plates and the car floor being provided with tie means receiving openings; and reenforcing means provided with arcuate surfaces arranged on the lower sides of said plates about the openings.

3. In a atcar, the combination of the side sills; floor supporting extension plates provided with upturned flanges at their outer longitudinal edges disposed into the plane of the tops of the floorboards and in engagement with the ends thereof, said plates being integrally united with and constituting reenforcing members for the tops of the side sills, whereby the width of the car deck is increased; the extension plates and the car deck adjacent the outer longitudinal edges having tie means receiving openings spaced longitudinally of the car; reenforcing bars arranged about the openings in said plates and welded to the lower faces of said plates and adjacent the outer edges thereof; and a plurality of downwardly disposed load stress transmitting members arranged beneath the plates on opposite side of the openings therein and secured to the lower faces of said plates and to the webs of the side sills.

4. In a flatcar, the combination of the side sills and the end sills; extension plates disposed lengthwise of and extending laterally outward beyond the side sills and secured to the tops thereof to constitute the top flanges of the side sills, the portions of' the plates outward of the side sills having tie means receiving openings and having upturned flanges coextensive with the thickness of the floor-boards and in abutting relation with the ends of said floor-boards; and downwardly disposed load stress transmitting members intermediate the bottoms of said plates and the outer faces of the webs of the side sills and secured thereto in spaced relation lengthwise of the car and at opposite sides of the openings.

KARL F. NYSTROM. JOSEPH A. DEPPE. 

